A FORMER youth football coach has been jailed for 31 years and described as “the devil incarnate” by a judge after being convicted of historic sexual abuse of children.

The victims of paedophile Barry Bennell gave a harrowing account of the effects his abuse has had on their lives at a sentencing hearing held in Liverpool, where Bennell received his jail sentence.

Bennell, a former youth football coach for Crewe Alexandra who also worked with Manchester City, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court where he was sentenced to 31 years in prison, after being found guilty of historic child sex offences carried out against 11 boys between 1979 and 1991.

The 64-year-old followed the five-week trial by videolink from prison, but was brought to Liverpool Crown Court on Monday to be sentenced after he was found guilty of all charges against him.

The prosecution said throughout the trial that Bennell had been a child abuser “on an industrial scale” and at the sentencing hearing, several of Bennell’s victims read out Victim Personal Statements detailing the devastating effects the abuse has had on their lives.

One described Bennell as a “monster”, while after reading out his statement another lashed out at Bennell as he sat in the dock, saying: “Barry, why?”

Many of the complainants described the impact of their ordeals on their personal relationships and social skills, with one also saying they had turned to drug use as a coping mechanism to deal with what had happened to them.

Another said he experienced flashbacks and bad dreams, and struggled with anxiety and depression because of his experience.

Speaking of the abuse he suffered as a youngster at the hands of Bennell, one complainant said: “I did not want it; I did not ask for it; and I did not enjoy it.

“That monster decided it was fun for him to use me as a sex toy.”

He also described how as a youngster, it had been his dream to become a professional footballer, but added: “Instead of that dream coming true, football became my nightmare.”

Many of the other complainants also spoke about how their dreams of playing professional football had been destroyed by Bennell, and added that there had been a significant knock-on effect on their families and family-lives.

Appearing for Bennell, Eleanor Laws QC said that during various bouts in custody between 1995-2004, Bennell had undertaken a number of treatment programmes.

She added that he suffered from extremely poor health, having been treated for cancer in the past, and is now under a strict and “onerous” feeding regime in prison due to his medical history.

Ms Laws said: “He is also on medication and there is a list of drugs that he is on. He is on very strong painkillers and very strong anti-anxiety medication.

“All of this means that his time in custody will be less comfortable and more difficult than it would be for someone without these health problems.”

In sentencing Bennell to 31 years in prison, Judge Clement Goldstone QC, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, noted that Bennell said in his Police interview that he was cunning and manipulative, but “not evil”.

“You could not have been more wrong,” the judge said.

“Your behaviour towards these boys in grooming and seducing them, before subjecting them to, in some cases, the most serious, degrading and humiliating abuse, was sheer evil.

“To those boys you appeared as a god to help them realise their dreams. In reality, you were the devil incarnate.”